My invention relates generally to rotary hand tools and, more particularly, to devices which are useful in removing accumulated soil, stone and other debris from difficult to clean blind holes, such as, for example, memorial vase holes of the type found in cemeteries.
In a commonly used memorial marker system, a decorative bronze memorial plate is laid at the burial site. The memorial plate usually carries the name or names of the decedents along with their dates of birth and death and possibly other indica such as an epitaph or the like. In addition, a commonly used memorial plate of this type may contain one or more apertures for the insertion and display of a permanent bronze memorial vase thereon. When in use, the vase is locked at its base portion by several outwardly flaring tabs which matingly engage tabs and recesses carried by the aperture of the memorial plate. In this manner, the memorial vase is not likely to be overturned by strong winds and appears as a permanent fixture with respect to the memorial plate. When the vase is not in use, as in the winter months, it is rotated and unlocked from the aperture of the memorial plate, turned upside down and reinserted through the aperture in an inverted position. The inverted vase is then rotated and re-locked within the plate aperture such that the base of the vase is substantially flush with the exposed surface of the memorial plate, while its inverted top is about one foot beneath the plate. When the vase is properly stored, there are no significant protrusions above the upper surface of the memorial plate, which permits the operation of lawn movers over the plate surface, including the area occupied by the inverted vase. In order to provide a space for storing the inverted vase, memorial plates of this type are preferably fitted with a canister beneath each of the apertures. The plastic canister is cylindrical in shape and is secured to the underside of the memorial plate, extending downwardly into the earth about one foot in order to accommodate the length of the inverted vase therein. The vase canister carries a mounting flange around its upper periphery for attachment to the memorial plate and also is provided with plurality of radially extending, raised ribs formed on the floor to prevent tight nesting of the canisters during shipment. The vase canister is intended to act as an earth barrier to maintain an open hole so as to allow for trouble-free insertion of the inverted vase without the necessity of reforming a hole in the earth each time the vase is to be stored. Unfortunately, in practice, such trouble-free insertion is not always the case. It has been observed that soil, stones, grass cuttings and like debris accumulates at the bottom of the vase canister over a period of time. Rainwater tends to carry such materials into the canister and, while the water will eventually pass through a drain hole provided in the floor of the canister, the above-mentioned solid materials collect and remain lodged at the bottom region of the canister. If not removed, the accumulated layer of deposited material prevents the vase from properly seating within the canister. As a result, the bottom of the vase will then protrude above the surface of the memorial plate, resulting in a poor appearance with possible breakage of the bronze vase and possible damage to the grass cutting equipment. It has been found that dislodgment and removal of accumulated silt, stones and other debris from the vase canister holes is difficult due to the relatively small size of the circular opening of the aperture in the memorial plate coupled with the depth of the canister hole. The aperture diameter is about 4 inches and the depth of the canister is about 12 inches. Naturally, maintenance workers are reluctant to place their hands near or into blind, subterranean holes, particularly in areas where poisonous snakes, spiders, scorpions or like creatures may find habitat. Cleaning these canister holes has, thus, proven to be a somewhat difficult and sometimes hazardous task. In addition, spillage of the removed material from a small shovel or from some other makeshift tool often occurs when they are extracted from the hole which naturally soils the decorative memorial plate surface and requires additional maintenance time to effect removal therefrom.
My invention solves many of the problems heretofore encountered in cleaning vase canister holes and like blind holes by providing a relatively simple, yet effective, hand-manipulated device which rotatably loosens and collects the material lodged within the hole for fast and easy removal therefrom. The hole cleaner of the present invention also provides a sharp cutting edge at the bottom thereof which is adapted to be manually rotated for digging and loosening lodged or compacted soil and stone within a blind hole, such as a canister vase hole, while avoiding any interference with the raised ribs or other irregularities which may be found on the floor of the blind hole. Still further, my invention provides a vase hole cleaner which gathers the accumulated debris in an efficient manner and retains such loosened material within a storage reservoir portion to permit quick and tidy removal thereof from the vase hole so as to minimize spillage and the necessity for subsequent cleaning of the decorative surfaces of the memorial plate.